12:17 AM
The new Seat Exeo, the car with which Seat is making its way into the mid-size saloon segment, made its debut at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Exclusive, elegant and sporty, the Seat Exeo represents a giant leap in quality for Seat, whose aim is to explore new markets and widen its already attractive model range.
Quality and precision manufacturing processes and materials were the underlying requirements when designing and producing the Seat Exeo, resulting in an extremely dynamic, safe and lively car.
Distinctive personality
Distinctive elegant styling abounds on the new Seat Exeo. On the exterior, both the front and rear ends are clearly indicative of the Spanish brand's image - it is sporty, with fluid forms, soft curves and prominent wings that heighten the car's athletic looks. Finally, the unmistakable grille, larger on this model, and the proportion of glass to vehicle body lend an even greater sporty look to the car.
The new Exeo's assertive personality is enhanced with spectacular 19-inch alloy rims that are hard to miss, as well as the twin tailpipe at either end of the bumper.
The extraordinarily ergonomic interior is particularly comfortable. At the front of the passenger compartment the dashboard lines flow towards the door panels and the driver-facing central console, creating a visible wrap-around effect. The two-tone instrument panel's great looks are completed with dark brown wood inserts.
The colour scheme used on the interior is particularly interesting. Called "magnolia", it creates a feeling of spaciousness with light tones. The comfortable leather seats and Alcantara lining on pillars and ceiling also combine to create a harmonic feeling of fluidity, style and roominess.
The Seat Exeo also provides an extremely comfortable driving experience. The front seats have four automatic positioning memories, and the seat length offers exceptional leg support. The rear sunshade can be controlled electrically to reduce incoming glare.
On hot sunny days the contents of the Seat Exeo's glove compartment can be cooled using the automatic climatiser. Temperature remains constant for a certain time even after the engine has been turned off after parking.
The bodywork construction includes a steel monocoque structure with integrated aluminium components. The further use of high strength steel helps reduce weight on the new car, guaranteeing excellent results in both occupant and pedestrian protection. These special elements are used on both the front-end structure and the passenger compartment of the Seat Exeo.
Seat's saloon also features ample boot space, with a volume of 460 litres, while the especially generous 1,000 mm loading width between the interior extrusions allows bulky objects to be loaded with ease.
Agile, dynamic and sporty
With the arrival of the Exeo, Seat is demonstrating its efforts to create and manufacture made-to-measure vehicles. Its compact size and greater manoeuvrability provides more comfortable performance in city driving and parking. This all contributes to making Seat's new saloon car complete, with the combination of effective city driving and exceptional long distance performance.
The design of the drivetrain on the new Seat Exeo is greatly responsible for the car's extreme driving comfort. Its excellent dynamic performance is the result of the definition of the coil ratings and the shock absorbers, as well as the analysis of the suspension's elasticity and geometric behaviour.
The front suspension setup is independent multilink with a trapezoidal link at the rear. There are several light alloy elements on both shafts that also considerably reduce the unsuspended mass.
On board the Seat Exeo, the driver immediately feels the vehicle's controlled behaviour when driving to the limit, with the car's body responding succinctly to the steering wheel and minimal roll. This ride comfort stems in part from the speed-dependent Servotronic power steering, where the degree of assistance depends on the car's speed, providing the driver with greater comfort and driving quality.
Technologically advanced
Driving enjoyment is at the very heart of the Seat Exeo and, as such, several solutions have been specifically added for both driver and passengers to experience the greatest comfort while motoring.
Besides all of the elements expected on a saloon of this category, the Seat Exeo also features double-thickness door windows, which significantly reduce noise inside the car and are also a theft deterrent. It is also equipped with a tilt sensor alarm and a solar roof, which provides enough electrical power to activate the car's ventilation system (which continues to work when the engine is turned off).
Seat's new car also features sweeping Xenon Plus headlights, including daylight driving lights, providing an intensely even beam in front of the car. The dynamic turning lighting system is made up of swivelling lights that illuminate the inside of a curve when the car is travelling at a speed of at least 12 km/h.
The twin-zone automatic climate control system is equipped with an air quality sensor, which not only provides independent climate control on the driver and front passenger sides, but also detects and avoids the entry of noxious gases, maintaining a constant atmospheric air quality for all the vehicle's occupants.
The new Seat Exeo also naturally features a sophisticated navigation system with two SD ports and MP3-type audio support player.
The best safety measures
The Seat Exeo is fully equipped with the most sophisticated occupant protection measures, including two front airbags, which deploy in two stages depending on the severity of the collision, two front side airbags, two curtain-type head airbags, driver knee airbag and rear side airbags.
The car also features active front seat headrests that protect driver and passenger from whiplash caused by rear-end collisions. The passenger and rear seats are also equipped with Isofix anchoring points for child seats.
Seat's new sedan is also equipped with essential active safety elements, including ABS, TCS and ESP +, EBA and low tyre pressure warning.
More horsepower than g/km of emissions
The Seat Exeo displayed in Paris was equipped with a powerful petrol engine, the turbo-charged direct injection 200 hp 2.0 TSI. It delivers a maximum torque of 280 Nm at only 1,800 rpm, providing excellent performance. This engine's combined fuel consumption figure is 7.7 litres, and its CO2 emissions fall beneath 185 g/km.
